“Every set of five is a link in a chain... the goal is the destruction of everything.”

In a quiet provincial town, a small circle of young radicals begins to plot the subversion of the social order. Led by the cold, manipulative Pyotr Verkhovensky and centered around the enigmatic, hollowed-out aristocrat Nikolai Stavrogin, the group descends into a spiral of arson, murder, and madness. Based on the real-life “Nechayev affair,” The Possessed is Dostoevsky's darkest and most complex work—a searing indictment of those who seek to replace traditional morality with a “shigalyovian” system of absolute equality through absolute tyranny.

The Mystery of Nikolai Stavrogin

At the heart of the storm is Stavrogin, one of the most haunting figures in world literature. A man of immense strength and intellect who has lost the ability to distinguish between good and evil, he serves as the sun around which all the other “demons” orbit. His search for a sensation strong enough to make him feel alive leads to some of the most controversial and profound chapters Dostoevsky ever wrote.

A Warning for the Ages

Originally intended as a pamphlet-novel against the rising tide of socialism and atheism, The Possessed evolved into a sprawling psychological epic. It explores how ideas can act like parasites, “possessing” individuals and driving them to acts of senseless violence. Dostoevsky's uncanny ability to predict the totalitarian tragedies of the 20th century makes this novel more relevant today than ever before.

Unmask the demons of the modern world. Purchase “The Possessed” today and experience Dostoevsky's most explosive political thriller.